Gavin Stone, the last Dodgers starter to stay healthy all season, goes on the IL
The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Gavin Stone on the injured list Friday, and it's uncertain whether he will return this season.
The NL West-leading Dodgers had to recall Landon Knack from the minors to start Friday against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians.
Stone was the last Dodgers starter who had been healthy all season. Now he has right shoulder inflammation. He won't be throwing for 10 to 14 days before attempting to ramp back up with less than a month left in the regular season, manager Dave Roberts said.
The right-hander is 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA in his second season.
"This was a breakthrough year for him and he picked us up a lot," the manager said. "To potentially not see this through, that would be really disheartening."
Stone joins fellow starters Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan on the IL.
Glasnow is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday while Yamamoto is expected back on Tuesday after missing nearly three months.
"Losing Gavin for any length of time makes their value even more, but they can only do what they can do," Roberts said while acknowledging that "time is running out" for Glasnow to come back.
Despite their starting pitching woes, the Dodgers are closing in on clinching the division title for the 11th time in the last 12 years.
"We're going to have enough pitching," Roberts said. "The names might be a little bit different. I don't think anyone knows who or who's not going to be part of it."